Muskets by the left hand Demiranke the whole Pikes to the right hand and the Demiranke of the Muskets to the left hand that so by the word of command March they may interchargablie take vp one anothers place for so I vnderstand the Author when he says It sera saire a scavoir l'Aide Major a gauche au Demirang de lagauche des Mouquets an droict aux Picques The Adjutant says he shall make the left Demiranke of the Muskets face to the left and the whole Pikes to the right and then by a command march c. But let the translation be as it will To the thing it selfe I say that in forming a Battaillon consisting of two wings of Musketeers and one Bodie of Pikes any of the ordinare ways vsed formerlie seemes to me as formall more easie as the way prescrivd by this French Author And when the Major hath drawne the Musketeers in one Bodie And the Adjutant the Pikemen in another twentie paces behind the muskets according to the Anthors direction I shall by his permission say the Pikes may joyne the Battaillon of muskets with seuer words of command in a shorter time and with lesse trouble and embarras then by the way mentiond by the Author I say with fewer words of command thus The Author will have the Pikes to march in foure severall Divisions for so I vnderstand his quarter rankes and this requires foure severall words of command for to everie quarter ranke he must say march When the Pikes have marchd to the left hand of the muskets for there the Author will needs have them to be They must face to the right hand and that requires the fifth word of command Immediatlie after the halfe of the muskets must be orderd to face to the left hand and that is the sixth word of command Then the halfe Bodie of muskets and the whole Bodie of pikes must march or rather countermarch to take vp enterchangeablie one anothers ground that is the seventh word And lastlie when muskets and pikes have changd their grounds they must be orderd to face as they were and that will be the eight word of command Bot I say foure words may serve the turne first let the halfe ranks of muskets face to the left hand that is one nixt let that halfe ranke of muskets march till there be a competent Intervall made betueene it and the other Demiranke of muskets to receave the pikes that is the second word thirdlie order the pikes to march all in one entire Bodie from the reare and take vp that Intervall that will be the third word of command lastlie cause the forsaid Demiranke of muskets face as it was and that is the fourth word of command and then your Battaillon is formd without more words Secondlie I say in a shorter time as thus To march in a whole bodie is a worke of quicker dispatch by three parts of foure then to march in foure severall Bodies or quarter ranks as the Author orders the pikes to doe before they joyne the musketeers Secondlie a bodie greater or smaller will twice as soon march twenty paces in a straight and parallel line then fortie perhaps fiftie in an oblique or croocked line as these pikes must doe which stand twentie paces behind the Battaillon of muskets and must march to the left hand of them Now the Author in this section says without loosing time therfor it is that I propose a way that looseth lesse time then this way of his Thirdlie I say The Battaillon of muskets standing in one Bodie and the pikes in another twentie paces behind the other as the Author appointeth them to be The pikes may be receavd in the middle of the Battaillon of muskets with much lesse trouble and embarras then by the way prescrivd by the Author thus Let the Demirank of the Battaillon of muskets face and march to the left hand leaving the right Demirank standing firme and so make an Intervall this is done without any embarras at all nixt let the whole Bodie of the Pikes advance at one time and take up that intervall and this is likewise done without any embarras Thirdlie the Demirank of muskets which did face and march to the left hand being commanded to face as they were doe it also without any embarras at all Bot when the Pikes that stand on the left hand of the whole Battaillon of muskets and the left Demirank of the muskets are orderd to face one to another and then by a Countermarch to take up one anothers ground there will be some shouldering some justling and some clashing of armes even among the best trained Soldiers and that I call Embarras The French Kings Officers are obliged by this Section to marshall their Regiments according to its prescriptions and no other way Bot these Officers Drill-masters who receave no French pay may try either this way of the Author or the good old way or a third if they please and then retaine any of them they find most convenient for themselves and most easie for their Soldiers Lastlie This Author requires a Sergant to be at the wing of each Division to prevent their falsifying Observe here that a Regiment standing in Battel there are two divisions of muskets and one of pikes Two Sergants being required to attend each division will be sixe that are appointed for that dutie In my observation upon the nixt section we shall see how the rest of the Sergants are disposed of FRENCH AUTHOR When a Battaillon is formed the first Lieutenant shall stand in the reare of the first division of muskets and the last in the reare of the last division an Ensigney in the reare of the Pikes with one half of the Sergants to hinder the Souldiers from dispersing or breaking their ranks Animadversion I Never had so strong a conceit of the usefulness of a Lieutenant in a Companie or a Lieutenant Collonel in a Regiment that I need care where this French Gentleman place the Lieutenants whether with the Pikes or the Muskets In the front or the reare nor should I be much troubled if in imitation of a wise and a warlike Nation he should banish them for ever out of all his Battaillons Bot indeed I am astonished to fee him make Lieutenants Ubiquitaries for in the sixth section of the way to forme a Battaillon as I have observed he appoints the Lieutenants to be in the reare of the pikes if there be Ensigneys and in the front of the pikes if there be no Ensigneys and consequentlie still with the pikes either in front or reare whether there be Ensigneys or not Now in this section which I last cited he orders one of the Lieutenants to be in the reare of the first division of muskets and another Lieutenant to be in the reare of the second division of muskets Can two Lieutenants be with the muskets if all the Lieutenants be with the pikes unless a Lieutenant can be in two places at
make so great an alteration as to change the deepth of their Battaillons which in all armies belonging to one Prince or one State sould be constantlie one and the same And Sir to cry up the singularitie of your device I shall tell you that the antient Groecians drew vp their foot Battaillons sometimes eight sometimes sixteene in file yet had not so nimble wits as to exercise by quarter files To come to our own times The great Earle of Strafford orderd his Majesties Infanterie in Ireland to be eight deep in file which certainlie so judicious a person as he was knowne to be did for good reasons if one wherof had beene to exercise by quarter files he had lost perhaps much of that reputation of militarie skill which fame hath so bountifullie bestoud vpon him Sir in this place you appoint the Companies to be sixe deep before they come to the Field and in another place you order the files to be made eight deepe when they are in the Field Bot since you must exercise sometimes at sixe deepe and since you will exercise sometimes at eight deepe I shall make no bones to tell you that it will be much more convenient to exercise your foot one day at sixe deepe and another day at eight deepe then to put your Captaines to a double labour in one day first to make their Companies sixe deep before they come to the Field and then eight deepe before they goe out of the Field For to change the deepth of files in the Field purposlie for quarter file exercise is not so easie a worke as perhaps you at first imagine it to be my reason is this In a file of sixe deepe you have bot three leading men these be The Leader of the file The Leader of the halfe file and the Bringer up of the file In a file of eight deepe when you are to exercise by quarter files you have foure Leaders and foure Bringers up for divide a file of eight men in quarters there will be in each quarter a Leader and a Bringer up these must be leasurlie chosen as fit persons to obey the words of command of that harsh exercise which needs not be so punctuallie done in exercises at sixe deepe Now the stations of these files at eight deepe cannot constantlie be keepd by the same men because of sicknes forloss and many other accidents which may withdraw them for a time and their stations being changd or other men put in their roomes you shall not misse to meet with an embarras the danger wherof yow need not feare in exerciseing at fixe deepe in file it being neither so knottie nor difficill as the other FRENCH AUTHOR The Captaines or Officers must leade their Companies with a Pike in their hand The Lieutenants must be at the reare of the Pikes when there are Ensigneys and when there are none they are to place themselvs at the head of the Pikes when they are drawne into Battailla Animadversion THe Author tells vs not whether the Officers shall cary their Pikes shoulderd as the Spaniards doe or comported as the French used to doe Nor shall I tell my opinion whether Pikes halfe Pikes Pertisanes or Canes be most proper for Commissionated Officers Onlie I shall desire the Lieutenants to take notice that this Master fixes them all with the Pikes whether in the front or reare of them makes no matter FRENCH AUTHOR The Companies being come to the designed ground shall file of one after another and passe vpon the left wing of the Pikes and in the first place shall leave their Pikes in the Field of the batle and the Muskets shall pursue their march till they have joyned the front of their Muskets Animadversion ONe of the hardest lessans ever I red As it is worded I shall never reach the meaning of it Companies which the Author himself acknowledgeth to consist of both Muskets and Pikes shall passe on the left wing of the Pikes Dura Dictio who can understand it Companies which consist of Pikes and Muskets shall in the first place leave their Pikes in the Field of batle First a Companie is no more a Companie bot a part of a Companie when the Pikes are left behind Nixt how can the Pikes be left in the Field of batle since that must of necessitie be the Field of batle where both Muskets and Pikes of the whole Regiment are formd in one Battaillon Bot take head Muskets shall pursue their march till they have joynd the front of their Muskets Where are we now O for an Interpreter I am affrayd The Printer hath wrongd both the Author and the Translator Must Muskets or Musketeers pursue their march till they joyne the front of their Muskets O Sence where art Thou In what corner of this Paragraph hath thou hid thy selfe I am sure I cannot find the. Bot lest we offer to wrong the Author let vs heare him speake in his owne language Both in his generall and particular Exercise of the Infanterie he hath these formall words Les Compagnies arrivants dans le Champ de Battaille desileront consecutivement iront passer sur l'aisle gauche des Piques auparavant laisseront leurs Piques dans le Champ de battaille les Mousquets suivront le front des Mousquets It is not in my power to English this otherwise as the Translator hath done Yet I wold gladlie be so just to the Author as to thinke his meaning were this When the Companies arrives at the place of Battoll they shall leave their Pikes behind at that distance spoke of to wit twentie paces and the Musketeers shall march these of one Companie after another on the left hand of the Pikes still forward till they come to the place appointed by the Major for the front of the Muskets And when all this is done we may aske why may not the Musketeers of each Companie leave their Pikes and march straight in a direct line to the place appointed for them and not be obliged to march in an oblique line vpon the left wing of the Pikes but more of this heer-after FRENCH AUTHOR So soon as the last Companie hath joyned the Battaillon the Adjùtant shall file of the Pikes by quarter ranks to goe joyne the Battaillon on the same front of Muskets on the left wing and without loseing time as soone as the last quarter ranke is arrived he shall face them to the left in Demi ranke to the left the Muskets and to the right the Pikes and by a word of command March the Pikes and the Muskets shall possesse the same ground after which he shall give command As you were takeing care that in all these moveings a Sergeant shall be at the wing of each division to prevent their falsifying Animadversion NOr is this Paragraph renderd so smooth as it sould be or as I thinke as it might be for assuredlie the Adjutant must not face the Pikes by Demirankes bot by whole rankes and the
one time If it be said the Lieutenants are to be with the pikes when the Battaillon is forming bot when it is formed they may be otherwise disposed of to shun contest I am content to be so charitable though I see no reason for it to beleeve the Author meant so bot then I say why takes he so much notice of the first and last Lieutenants and tells us nothing where the rest of them shall have their stations whether still with the pikes which most probablie he meanes or some more of them then two with the muskets which most rationallie he sould have meant or that he leaves the rest except these two to be individua vaga to wander where they please And indeed though he doe so with all of them I am sure I shall not fall out with him for the matter In the nixt place I desire it may be rememberd that in the eight section of the way to forme Battaillons the Author requires a Sergant to be at the wing of each division which in my animadversion on that section I reckond to be sixe in this section he requires the halfe of the Sergants to be with an Ensigney in the reare of the Pikes Now let us suppose there be in one Regiment ten Companies these have twentie Sergants allowd them of these the Author takes the halfe to wit ten and placeth them in the reare of the Pikes and sixe on the wings of three Divisions this is in all sixe teene there remaines then bot foure of the twentie to attend the reare of the Musketeers which being twice as numerous as the Pikes makes this Division of the stations of Sergants very disproportionable Sergants formerlie were obliged onlie to attend the wings Bot if the Author doth allow as he doth Sergants to be in the reare as well as on the wings I shall agree with him for I have oft wonderd why so necessare an Officer as a Sergant sould be pind to the flanks as I have seene too oft practisd Bot I will still dissent from him in allowing so many Sergants for the reare of the Pikes and so few for the reare of the Muskets till he make it appeare that Pikemen may break their ranks bot Musketeers cannot FRENCH AUTHOR The Drums shall be placed on the right hand and the left Animadversion IF he meane on the right and left hands of the whole Battaillon or Regiment I would gladlie know what they sould doe there I sould thinke it most consonant to reason not to speake of practise that when a Battaillon Brigad or Regiment is formd everie Officer among whom Drummers ordinarlie are reckond sould have his station assignd him in that place where he can doe best service whether they be to fight or to march Bot to what use Drums shall serve either on the right or left hands of the whole Battaillon and in no other place when they are either to fight or to march is a thing not so easilie understood Bot if the Author meane that Drums shall be placed on the right hand and the left onlie so long as the Battaillon is Exercising I say he was obliged to tell us at what distance on the right and left hand the Drums sould have their stations for I am sure The French Drill-masters will confesse that there be some motions of Exercise which will not suffer either Drummers or other people to be within a great distance of either right or left hand of the whole Battaillon As when halfe files are commanded either by halfe File-leaders or Bringers up of whole files to double the front of the Battaillon Entire or to the right and left hand by Division when this word of command is obeyd the Battaillon possesseth in front twice as much ground as it did before bot these halfe files can not performe this till they chace the Drums a great way from both the right and left wings of the Battaillon Bot before I part with this head of forming a Battaillon I shall take leave to say that I conceave The Author hath not said so much on it as he might at least not so much as he sould and consequentlie that his rules concerning it are Defective and because I am obliged to give reasons for my opinion I offer these first he hath not told us what Companie sould have the precedencie of another that is where the Lieutenant Collonels Musketeers and Pikes sould stand for I suppose he allows the Collonels the right hand where the Majors where the oldest Captaines where the youngest and where the rest that everie one of them may have their due according to their prioritie This is a point wherin there is neither custome nor law of warre universallie observed it being variable according to the pleasure of the Prince or State who wageth the warre or of their Generalls who mannageth it Secondlie he has not assignd to everie Officer belonging to the Battaillon their proper stations for thogh it may be soone knowne where the Officers of a private Companie fould stand so long as it is a Companie apart yet when the several Companies are incorporated in one Bodie the stations of the Officers are sensible changed as any who never saw a Battaillon bot in paper may easilie understand All he hath done in this so necessare a point is to tell us where the Ensigneys Sergants and Drums and the Lieutenants sould be and that in so confusd and unintelligible a way as I have demonstrated that he might better have said no more of them then he hath done of the Captaines and the three Field Officers Nor doe I imagine any man will be so litle the Authors friend as to say he needed not speake of these two points because they are knowne in the French Armies for by that reason he might have held his peace of very many things mentiond by him in his Booke which were not onlie knowne in France bot in most places of Christendome long before his Grand-father was borne To support these reasons given for my opinion I shall say further that a Battaillon Regiment or Brigad or give it what name else you please is formd for one of foure reasons These are either to be lookd upon and viewd by a Prince a General or some great Personage or to fight or to march or to Exercise In the first case it is very proper and convenient that everie Companie be placed according to its prioritie and everie Officer have his station assignd him according to his Dignitie In the three last cases those two points are not onlie convenient bot purlie necessare And therfor I conclude a Battaillon is not formd or not formd as it sould be where any of these two things are either omitted or forgot The Author haveing with many niceties formd his Battaillon as you have seene proceeds thus FRENCH AUTHOR The Generall Exercise for the Infanterie After haveing drawne the Regiment into Battailla they draw out the files of Halberdeers which are
to consider it a litle I believe you will find it to be so Now when we say Order your armes The Souldiers set the buts of them on the ground the Pikemen hold their Pikes in their right hands just against their right ears The Musketeers lay their right hands on the barrills of their Muskets and so both of them leane on their armes and all leaning is repose therfor it is that I thinke Rest on your armes is more proper then Order your armes and set down your armes at your feet more proper then any of them Bot I doe not offer to introduce either new things or new words FRENCH AUTHOR Lay down your armes The Pikemen sticke their Pikes between their two legs Animadversion BOt if the ground be so hard that you cannot sticke your Pikes in it as in a dry summer and a frostie winter it will unquestionablie be I suppose you may lay your Pikes on the ground bot if you can stick them it will be more handsome and have the braver show Bot I mistake the French language if in the originall which I read it be not lay down your Pikes on the ground between your feet When Pikemen were formerlie orderd to lay down their Pikes they were taught by a turne of the right hand to lay the buts of their Pikes levell with the out-side of their right foot bot now that Monsieur will have us to lay them between our feet or stick them between our legs let it be so we need not fall out with him for the matter FRENCH AUTHOR Be readie to goe a la paille A la paille Which they are to doe when the Drum beats a charge and are to return when the Drum beats againe with their Swords in their hands and holding them above their heads when everie one is returnd to his place and when they are returned Returne your Swords handle your Armes Animadversion WHat a fanfare is all this To what purpose all this glancing show what can the business be Before this peece was Englished I read in the French originall A la paille bot did not know what it meant in exercise bot was hopefull The Translator wold have helped me Bot in him I meet againe with A la paille and with no English for it So both the Author and the Translator leave us to our conjectures For my part I thinke it is probable he intended no more bot what is usuall in exercises to permit the Soldiers after they had layd down their armes to goe recreate and refresh themselves under the name of a la paille and on the beating of the Drum to returne with drawn Swords to their other armes Secondlie A la paille in French is as much as To the straw is in English therfor it may be he intended that when the Battaillon is to encampe and the watch is set and the Regiment hath layd down their armes The Soldiers are commanded to goe look for straw and sticks for hutting and fuell And while they are about that worke if the Drum beate they are to draw their Swords in case of a sudden attack and therwith defend themselvs till they get back to their other armes If neither of these two conjectures of mine please you you may if you thinke it worthie your labour guesse your self the freedome to doe it can be denyed to neither you nor me FRENCH AUTHOR All sorts of change of fileings Take care in all changeings of filings that the siles be of even number and if there be found any supernumerarie files let them be formed into ranks in the reare of the Division Animadversion IN the first place what this Gentleman means by supernumerarie files in the plurall number I do not understand for I conceave in the greatest Battaillon that ever was or yet can be fancied to be there will be bot one odd file and why that one od file sould be called supernumerarie even in the singular number I know not od or uneven it may be bot supernumerarie it can not be for I doe not beleeve that any of the French Captains entertains more Soldiers then these the French Kings allows them wages for And if they have no supernumerarie Soldiers they will have no supernumerarie files As litle doe I understand why od files if there were any sould be made ranks in the reare for by that mean you shall increase the number of your ranks which sould be constantlie and perpetuallie the same and consequentlie adde to the deepth of your Battaillon which must not be permitted you or any under the Prince or his Generall Suppose you have one od file which may frequentlie fall out if you make a ranke of it in the reare of a Division then you make that Division seven deepe wheras it sould be bot sixe Sure there is lesse hurt and lesse disorder in an od file then in an od ranke If the Author had said If there be any od men in any of the Companies let them all be cast in the reare of the whole Battaillon and make files of them he had to my sence have spoke reason yet no more then very ordinarie Officers have both spoke and practisd before him FRENCH AUTHOR Manner of fireing The best way of fireing is by rank when you wold fire in a Parallell line with the Enemie Animadversion YEs To fire by rank is not alone the best bot the onlie way of fireing if the Enemie be either in your front or your reare Bot if he be on either of your flanks you are to face him by these files that are nearest to him and then you are to fire likewise in a parallell line with the Enemie and yet in this case the Author must permit us to fire by file and not by ranke FRENCH AUTHOR For this purpose to doe it with lesse trouble it is good to doe it standing firme your ground without any motion save that of making the five first ranks kneele and let the sixth be the first that fires then the fifth rising up does the like and so the rest in order Animadversion I Have seen three several ways how ranks fire successivelie not to speak of fireing by three ranks together the first kneeling the second stooping the third standing which is not used bot at a dead lift The first is when the first ranke hath fired The Musketeers divide themselves in two parts the one half marcheth by the right the other by the left hand to the reare where they are againe by their Officers marshald in one rank This way is troublesome especiallie if the rank be numerous as in all great Battaillons ranks are yet it hath been so antient a custome in the armies of the Estates of the United Provinces of the Low-countreys that I saw it practisd in the year 1659. by the Estates Guards at the Hague The second way is when these who have fired turne to the left hand marches down to the reare between that file wherof